I just recently started and found the Lyman manual to have lots of helpful info. And just as many have recommended, I went with a single stage press. I feel like the single stage really helped drive in each step for me.
Many different powders can be made to work, but without a primer, nothing goes bang.
Let me put this in a less abrupt manner:
The biggest item here is to understand what you are doing, and why you are doing it. Make certain you have a grasp of the theory.
This is a game of details. The little things matter. You are essentially assembling a small explosive device, one you will hold close to body parts you want to keep.
Understand the process before you start.
I’ve been loading for about 20 years using Lee hand presses and RCBS hand primers. The only thing I use my RCBS Rock Chucker press for is sizing brass. In my opinion, the only “big ticket” item you need is a good electronic scale.
The ABC's of Reloading is a great book to get you familiar with the reloading process. Get one and readi it cover-to-cover.
My electronic scale...
Just ordered the ABC’s off Amazon. Should be here tomorrow.
Think about where you are going to do it.
Avoid carpet. Sooner or later you are going to spill stuff.
Gun powder and vacuum cleaners are not a good mix.
Look for a quiet place where you will not be distracted.
Reloading is about attention to detail.
Double charge a shell and things get exciting.
Fail to charge it and you have a bore obstruction.
Have a way to secure the exciting parts away from anyone with poor judgement.
Your loading bench should be secure and the correct height for you to work the press comfortably.
After that, it's mostly a matter of personal preference.
Avoid carpet. Sooner or later you are going to spill stuff.
Gun powder and vacuum cleaners are not a good mix.
Look for a quiet place where you will not be distracted.
Reloading is about attention to detail.
Double charge a shell and things get exciting.
Fail to charge it and you have a bore obstruction.
Have a way to secure the exciting parts away from anyone with poor judgement.
Your loading bench should be secure and the correct height for you to work the press comfortably.
After that, it's mostly a matter of personal preference.
Hey Cousin! How ya dewin? lol funny great post, thanks, I needed a good laugh.
Hey Yanno you’re not a serious reloader until you start keeping reloading books in the bathroom, right?
I got started reloading in 1983 at Southwest Shooters on Linwood blvd in OKC. Primers were something like a penny or so apiece, sleeve of a hundred was $1.00 to $1.29. Was in Mashburns many times. You probably remember Andy Anderson store.
Wives tale. My vacuum is fine with it and I have always reloaded in my spare bedroom with carpet.
You know the torch strikers here is a picture.
I have filled one with 3031 powder and got to sparking it.
Would not set it off.. my vacuum does not make near that kind of spark.
3031 would not ignite in my sidelock muzzleloader either with #11 cap.
Smokeless is very hard to light with weak sparks.
If anyone has ever personally lit smokeless powder or primers off with a vacuum I would love to hear about it and I will apologize for this post.
On a second note I will echo what others have said Single stage is the way to go.
I like a heavy cast iron one I have Lee and RCBS and love my Lee classic cast and the way it primes the case.
Chamfer tool for after you trim the cases.
I like my Lee case length gauge with their shell holder and their cutters.
Lyman VLD chamfer and the 505 scale along with Hornady sizing die wax.
Excellent dial calipers for measuring things.
Powder funnel.
Dies.
Those are the essentials I use to make my ammunition.
I have a Lee scale and it was ever so slightly finicky on the way you set the hanger.
I tweaked the hanger and the spot it hangs by thinning both of them to make them contact in the same spot each time.
Eventually wore the blade out. My 505 has weighed 10x as many and did not need any tweaking and has not worn any either.
It is discontinued but there are others unless you go digital.
I'm fine thank you, hope you are as well. Glad you saw a little humor in my post. Yes I remember Andy's, high end but quite a place. You probably remember when Dale at Southwest passed, and his daughter really didn't have an interest in keeping it going, soon after that Andy's closed. I always thought that Southwest should have moved over to Andy's, what a place it could have been. Do you remember all those mounts, and if you wanted to look at a gun, the guy behind the counter, the one with the tweed jacket and tie, didn't just hand it to you, he wiped it down and presented it to you. Those were the days.
Yes on lee single stage. I would invest in rcbs 5-10-5 scales. Helps in weighing bullets and gets powder charges pretty spot on for my rifles. This is what I use for hunting rifles. I have a progressive, name unmentioned, for pistol and blk out, except hunting, and then it’s back to single stage. The Lee load manual is quite informative and a must have in my opinion. Good luck. Go slow, double check, and have fun. Also if you ever reload 45 acp, check cases for which primers they take. Some take small, some take large. DON’T FORCE ANYTHING…. Be safe.
